Rail-joint.



No. 720,581. PATBNTED FBB.17,'1903.

H. HANSON. RAIL JOINT.

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UNITED STATES,

PATENT ()FFIQE.

HANS HANSON, OF HOLBROOK, NEBRASKA.

RAIL-J-OINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 720,581, dated February 17, 1903.

Application filed July 29, 1902. Serial No. 117,504. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HANS HANSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Holbrook, in the county of Furnas and'State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Rail-Joint; and I do hereby declare the following to be a' full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to improvements in rail-joints; and it has for its object to provide a rail-joint of a simple and comparatively inexpensive construction adapted to form practically a continuous rail and capable of dispensing with the fish-plates and bolts usually employed at rail-joints for connecting the rails.

The invention consists in the construction and novel arrangement of parts hereinafter described and shown,andparticularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings forming part of the specification, and in which like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a rail with lateral enlargements o, and the tongue 3 consists of an approximately semicircular head 7 and a shank 8, the head projecting laterally beyond the sides of the shank to form shoulders'9. The inner end of the shank is connected with the rail by an enlarged portion 10, which is beveled at the top and sides, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The lower face of the tongue is horizontal and is flush with the lower face of the bottom of the rail.

The socket 4, which is closed at the top to form a continuous tread for the rail 2, ex-

tends upward from the lower face of the rail to the head of the same, and it consists of a reduced portion or neck 11 and an inner enlarged approximately semicircular portion 12, and the outer end of the socket at the end of the rail is beveled at the sides and top at 13 to conform to the configuration of the beveled enlargement10 at the inner end of the tongue. The neck is provided with straight parallel side faces, and the narrow portion 8 of the shank is of greater length than the neck or throat of the socket and the inner enlarged portion of the socket is of greater length than the head 7 of the tongue to permit the rails to have a limited longitudinal movement to expand and contract incident to changes in temperature. The rails form practically a continuous rail, they are imper-' forate,'and fish-plates, which are usually employed for connecting rails, are dispensed with. The rails may be secured to the crossties by means of a chair let or rail-clamps 15, or spikes or any other suitable means may be employed for that purpose.

It will be seen that the rail-joint is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction, that it possesses great strength, and that it forms practically a continuous rail. It will also be apparent that the rails may be readily fitted together and quickly laid and that they are capable of a limited longitudinal movement to permit of the necessary expansion and contraction.

What I claim is 1. A rail-joint, comprisingthe rail 1, provided with a tongue consisting of a shank and a head projecting laterally from the shank, and the rail 2 provided with a socket extending upward from the bottom of the rail and terminatingshort of the top of the same to provide a continuous tread, said socket consisting of a neck, to receive the shank and an enlarged inner portion receiving the head of the said tongue, substantially as described.

'2. A rail-joint comprising the rail 1, provided with a tongue consisting of a shank having an inner enlarged beveled portion, and a head projecting laterally from the shank, and the rail 2 provided with a socket extending upward from the bottom of the I In testimony whereof I have hereto affixed rail and terminating short of the head of the my signature in the presence of two witnesses. same to provide a continuous tread, said socket consisting of a neck of less length than I HANS HANSON the shank and beveled at the outer end, and Witnesses: an enlarged inner portion of greater length 0. G. COPPOM, than the head substantially as described. A. M. KEYES. 

